The present invention relates to intercalated layered silicates and to dispersed-particle compositions comprising silicate platelets exfoliated from intercalated layered silicates.
Intercalated clays may be made using a quaternary ammonium-based intercalating agent. However, it may be difficult to obtain government agency approval to utilize quaternary ammonium-based intercalating agents in some end-use applications, such as food-contacting materials. Further, quaternary ammonium-based intercalating agents may show an unacceptably high amount of decomposition at the processing resident times and temperatures desired for processing a matrix medium incorporating the quaternary ammonium-based intercalating agent.